US pastor Andrew Brunson released from Turkish detention

US pastor Andrew Brunson released from Turkish detention

A Turkish court has freed Andrew Brunson two years after the American pastor was detained, accused of helping to plot a coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The court sentenced Brunson to three years and one month in prison, but chose to release him based on his time already served.

The case has been at the center of deteriorating relations between Turkey and the United States, heightened by President Donald Trump’s defense of Brunson as his administration elevated religious freedom as a cause.